Electric press



Oct. 11, 1927.

A. R. BRAUN ELECTRIC PRESS v Filed March 25. 1 924 Aqu/d BY y @Vw/WRNEYS y Paienfedoa, 11, y19:27.

,. UNITED STATES' PATENT OFFICE.y

AQUILA R. BRAUN,VOF SYRACUSE, NEWVYORK, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS,T THE PROSPERITY COMPANY, INC OF `SYRACUSE, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION orvimw Yom;

I nnncrnrc Piense.

Application led March 25, 1924. Serial No. 701,653.

' This 'invention relates to garment pressing machines and ironingpresses and more particularly to improvements in electric presses.

An object of the invention is to produce an electrically heated pressingmachine having yone or both pressing jaws thereof electricallyv heatedfor the Vpurpose of pressing garments or pressure ironing wash goods;

and simple construction constitutes characteristic features of myinvention whereby `electrically heated presses of durable con structionmay be produced at comparatively low cost. An additional object is toproduce improved ironing press jaws electrically heated to avoid theexpense and diiiiculty met in manufacturing hot uid pressure tightsealed pressing memberssuch as are required in steam heated pressingmachines,

The accompanying drawing illustrates a preferred form of theconstruction and it. is understood how certain Vchanges may bel madewithout departing from the scope and principle of the invention..

Figures 1 and 2 illustrate a sideand front elevation of the upper makinportions of a pressing machine utilizing improved electrically heatedpressing members constructed in accordance with my invention.

Figure 3 illustrates a plan view of one of the electrically heatedpressing members and said member is broken across to illustrate theinternal construction thereof.

Figure4 illustrates a cross-sectional view of thev pressing member asdeveloped on the line 4 4."

Figures 5 and 6 respectively illustrate a.

plan and side sectional elevation of an iin- 40 proved attaching meansemployed in the installatipn of hollow lpressing member. l

Inasmucli as the p'eesent invention relates to the pressing memA rs orjaws themselves, I have omitte the pedal and ,toggle operating mechanismfrom theaccompanying illustrations such as is ordinarily employed inopening the. pressing 'aws or raising and lowering the pressing ead forit is understood by those conversant iiithe art how this operation isexecuted by em loying any approved means either manua y or power optheheating elements within thel erated, and for thatreason' I haveillustrated the parts onlyof, the pressing machine namely, the pressingmembers thereof, which have to do with my invention.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings fora detailedexplanation of the,

principles and construction constituting my invention, there is shownpressin members in the nature of a head 10 and buc 11. One

of the members may be ixed or anchored to a frame 9 while the othermember, usually the head, is carried on the forward end of a press lever13 pivoted at 14 on the frame;

and the press lever 13 is operated by any. j

approved means for opening and closing the pressing jaws on the work. Adescription will now be made of one of the ressing members for it isunderstood how goth the head and buck may possess duplicate constructionfor serving the purposes ofeconom in manufacture.

^ pressing member base or shell 11 is provided with one or more channelsor grooves -across' which is disposed and supported` a press plate 17and inasmuch as my pressing members are not provided with steam heatingmeans, the partsdo not have lto be fluid tight and therefore thepressplate 17 and base or shell plate 11 are secured together v with arelatively small number of screws thus making for low cost inproduction. y An electrical resistance element in the nature of a carbonrod 19 or a resistor element of any other suitable characteristics andstructural composition, is coniined in each channel 12 and supportedtherein by such improved means as will permit the delicate carbon rod 19to be rigidlysupported within the'hollow pressing member and yet at thesame time permit the necessary expansion and contraction of partswithout fracturing the heating element; and to this end, eachv end ofthe elements is provided with preferablya spring'closing jaw y clampfirmly grasping the extremity of the carbon rod. Each clamp 2O isanchored to a 'coil spring 21 the free end of which is usually made withan eye through Ywhich a clamp screw binding post 22 is passed.'

The screw 22 is yconfined in an insulator bushing 23 passing through thewall of the press head or buck; and on the outer end thereof anelectrical feed wire l2451s connected. The heating elements aretherefore placed in circuit with the current supply line 24 and vheatthe entire pressing member. The yieldable spring supports 21 perforthe-double purpose of supportlng and fee ing current to the resistanceelements.

Each end of the plurality of electrical.

- resistance rods' is -thus s ecurely attached by heating the pressingmembers.

lture -without fracturing the heating bers.

I 21 contracts-and expands to permit the cast iron or steel head andbuck to contract and expand in the rising and falling temperaelementsfor itis to be understood that the -delicate .electrical resistanceelements 19,'

whether constructed of carbon' or of other suitable resisting compounds,wouldv be broken in the severe usage to which pressingmachines are putand during the heatand cooling operation unless they are delicatelysuspended by the improved sprinu' and clamp anchorage members 20-21 whicconstitutes a feature of my invention.

The channels 12 afford s ace for each heating element without unulyincreasing the size or thickness of the Apressing mem- The -said.base plates 11 are usually cast so the heating element channels may beinexpensively formed, and the pressing face an sidesin t plates 17 mayto 'good advantage be constructed of steel or bronze for in themanufacture .of ironing presses it ordinarily follows that )one of thepressing members,-

'usually the head, is made .with an exposed highlyA olished -pressingand ironing surd) thus the` steel or bronze provides .such surface andespecially so when plate 17 is made; of bronze for in this case itreadily takes a polished nickel iron' surface.

An improved feature of my invention ree simpleconstruction of thepresslneath side ofthe pressing surface plate 17 acaricia ing members,for pressing machines now largely in use are invariably 4iiuid heatedand necessarily must be steam and pressure tight which necessitatesexpensive construction in the finishing of the parts as well as theassembly thereof. But 1n `my improved 'pressing members I avoid suchexpensive construction by reason of the fact that I employ electricalheating elements suspended within the hollow two part pressing member,and inasmuch as the electrical re-- sistance bars are not placed incontact with the wall of the pressing members it follows that thepressing members are not overheated in any one place. The heat asradiated from the electrical heating elements sets up acirculation ofair which rapidly diffuses the heat throughout the pressing members andraises the temperature thereof toa workingand-pressing heat. Press headsand bucks constructed in accordance with my invention are much lighterin weight and contain less metal than steam heated members with obviousadvantages. Furthermore a steam boiler is not required which constitutesay large saving in many respects.

It is to noted that the electrical heatingl elements may be installedonV the underlate itself and that any suitable number o resistances maybe employed in this construction to either extend longitudinally ortransversely within the hollow member. Inasmuch as the air spaceclearance between the plate and shell may be very limited, lit followsthat a' rpress plate constructed asset forth is very vthin whichpresents a machine of improved appearance.

In some types of ressin machines it has been ound esirable to the hollowironing or pressing jaw with a suitable refractory material and in thisconnection the'reference character Rdesi silica sand, soap stone, orother lillin and packing material lling the member s own inFigure 4.'The refractory material fills the entire air space within the hollow member and rapidly conducts the heat from the heating elements to all partsof the pressi member and acts to Securely hold the heaters in positionwithout interfering in any way with the relative contraction andexpansion of parts; and the granular material employed in thisconnection readily flows to all parts of the member when the parts areassembled and produces a substantial .solid and unitarystructure.'Furthermore, the refractory material constitutes an insulator positivelyholding the heating elements away from the metal wallsof the heatingmember, and enables the manufacturer to and ironm v gnates.

place a large numberof heaters in close relation if desirable withoutdan r of commgmv contact with one another, fwhich member being lprovidedwith I bers, means constitutes advantages in' function and structureover other electrically heated pressing members. I

What I claim is:

1. A pressing and ironing machine comrising cooperating hollow pressingmemrs, means' for electrically. heating the pressing members embodyingan electrical resistance suspended within the hollow pressing member, acontractible and expansible anchorage means connected to the resistanceand to the pressing member to hold the resistance in suspended position,and a current feed line connected to the anchorage means.

2. A pressing and ironing machine comprising-cooperating hollow pressingmemfor electrically heating the pressing members embodying an electricalresistance sus ended within the hollow pressing mem er, said hollowpressing within which the aforesaid resistance element is suspended, aflat cover pressing plate anchored over the channels, -a contractibleand expansible anchorage means connected to the resistance and to thepressing member to hold the resistance in suspended position, and acurrent feed line connected to the anchorage means.

3. A pressing member comprising a hollow flat surface metal part, aplurality of electrically heated resistance rods suspended therein inspaced relation :from the walls of.

' the hollow part, and resilient anchorage means secured to the hollow'pressing member to permit contraction o r. expansion of the resistancerod and pressing member relatively one to the other.

4. A pressing member comprising a'hollow flat surface metal part, aplurality of electrically heated resistance rods suspended therein inspaced relation from the walls O f the hollow part, a sprin supportconductor .l attached to each end o the resistance rod,

and abinding post anchored to the pressing member and supporting the endof thel spring conductor to hold the resistance rod in suspension withinthe -hollow Ipressing member.

5. An electrically heated pressing member comprising a shell made withchannels,

formed therein, a binding post and electrical terminal anchored to thepressing member at each end of the channels, a spring 'current conductorfixed to each binding post terminal, and a carbon rod electricalresistance element having each end attached to .the spring conductor andsuspended Jin the said c annel.

6. An electrically heated pressing member constituting a hollow shellhaving a pressing surface,` a plurality of bindingposts anchored in theshell and'projecting through the wall thereof, a current supply wireconchannels pended electrica nected to the binding posts, coil 'springsuspension supports having one end fixed to the said binding post withinthe shell, and an electrical resistance element supported by and betweenthe free ends of the spring conductors' in suspended relation closelyarranged but spaced from the pressing surface.

7 A pressing member electrically heated, comprising a base plate havinga marginal rib extending therearound, resilient current conductorshaving one end ixed to the press- -ingmember and the other end leftfree, a

carbon rod heater, aclamp holding the ends of the carbon rod inconnection with current conductors, and a plate anchored to the marginalrib covering over the heating elements and acting as a presslng.

8. A pressing member comprising a base plate having a marginal ribextending therearound, said member provided with a plurality of channelsreaching to the marginal rib, a carbon rod resist-ance element disposedwithin each channel, a spring having one end anchored' to the extremityof the carbon rod, a binding post support holding l the other end of thespring thereby suspending the carbon rod in the channel in spacedrelation from the wall of the pressing mem- 'ber, and a press platesecured to the marginal rib covering over the heating elements.

A pressmg Amember such as a jaw, comrlsing a cast shell, a marginal ribraised on the shell, a cover pressing plate secured to the rib and heldin closely spaced relation to the wall of the cast shell therebyproviding a space between the shell and cover, said shell wall beingprovided with .a groove or channel therein providingadditional-clearance between the pressing, late and shell wall, a carbonrod suspen ed within the groove and spaced from the cover plate andshell, a spring conductor support fixed to each end of the carbon rodand resiliently suspending the said rod in the channelA 'therebypermittingvrelative contraction and expansion between the pressingmember and the carbon rod, and a current conducting bindingsu portanchoredy to the' pressing member and adapted' to feed current throughthespring support to the carbon rod.

'10. A'pressing-and ironingmachine comprising cooperating hollowpressing members, pressing members embodying an electrical resistancesuspended. within the hollow pressing' member, a contractible andexpansible anchorage meansconnected to the resistance and to thepressin' member to hold the resistance in suspended position, a currentfeed line connected to theA anchorage means, and refractory materialvfilling' the hollow member acked around the said susresistance to holdthem in place and conduct the heat therefrom to th walls of the pressingmembers.

means for electrically heating the 11. A preing member comprising ahollow flat. surface metal part, a plurality of electrically heatedresistance rods suspended therein in spaced relation from the walls ofthe hollow part, a granular refractory material illingthe hollow memberand packed aroundv the said resistance rods to securely hold. them inplace and conduct the heat to Lemmi the walls of the preilug member, andreor expansion of the resistance rod and press- .ing member relativelyone to the other.

In testimony whereof I aix my signature.

AQUILA R. BRAUN.

